6. Your speciality seems to be restorative and gentle yoga. can you explain why you are drawn to this flavor of practice.

I am so glad that you asked that question. There are several layers to my specializing in gentle and restorative yoga. In the general yoga community there seems to be a myriad of opportunities for healthy bodies. People who are young and bendy can find a plethora of Ashtanga or Vinyasa flow classes at health clubs, yoga centers and strip malls.
One layer is that my students are people who desire the health benefits of a yoga practice but find that many styles of yoga are too challenging or even potentially damaging to their bodies. I have many clients and students who have been "pushed" to do movements beyond their abilities. I had 5 new students in class last week, each with conditions that would preclude them from a 'regular' flow class.
Another layer is in my training. Because of my background in injury treatment, acupuncture, and anatomy it is simple for me to create a practice that is safe and challenging for my students.
The intention of the 'challenge' in many yoga classes seems to be "how far can you bend?" Bending deeper doesn't mean that the asana is 'better". I like posing another challenge for students "how much can you feel?" How much awareness of breath and movement is possible? It's my belief that awareness makes the poses come alive. I do not believe that the external look of the asana is the ultimate goal of yoga. Yoga is about sensing unity from the inside out, about feeling the space and emptiness of the entire universe inside your own sacrum (complete with the tiny sign pointing to "you are here.") And I believe that stillness fosters that awareness.
And what's the rush? Most of our lives are spent going too fast and feeling too little. It feels like we get to practice that speedy stuff all the time. We're already quite good at going fast and hard.

Arturo Peal is an anatomy and physiology (A&P) instructor and a Certified Yoga therapist. He is a licensed acupuncturist and craniosacral therapist and has been involved in the "alternative" health-care field for more than 30 years. Peal teaches A&P for Yoga teacher training and studios, for body workers, and for other movement specialists. He integrates his expertise in Anatomy,Kinesiology, Chinese Medicine, and the healing processes to present a multidimensional understanding of the human body. Arturo is one of my most favorite teachers. He grounds like a Sequoia and offers the space and opportunity for understanding and transformation.